Chuckles: (Looking at a flower in a pot.) C'mon! What are you waiting for, plant?

Robbie: (Enters.) Oh, Hi Chuckles. Whatcha doin?

Chuckles: Hi Robbie. Losing my patience with this flower, that's what!

Robbie: (Haltingly.) Losing your patience with the flower? How do you lose your patience with a flower?

Chuckles: I bought this little flower yesterday and it won't grow! It's taking forever.

Robbie: Hmm...

Chuckles: I tried watering it. In fact, I just watered it ten minutes ago. Think I should water it again?

Robbie: Um. Well.

Chuckles: I mean I know that flowers need water, sunlight and soil to grow.

Robbie: Yeah. That's right.

Chuckles: Well, I got my little flower pot here with soil in it. The flower is sitting here by the window so it can get some sunlight and I've been watering it every 10 minutes since I got it!

Robbie: Well, how fast do you think it should grow?

Chuckles: Fast! You know that story "Jack and the Beanstalk?"

Robbie: Sure. Jack throws some beans and a big plant grows and he climbs it and finds a giant!

Chuckles: Well, I want this flower to grow as big as Jack's beanstalk.

Robbie: Oh. Well, that could take a while don't you think?

Chuckles: I'm tired of waiting. And that's not all I'm tired of, Robbie. It seems like everything takes way too long. They call McDonald's fast food but it took over 5 minutes to get my happy meal the other day! And then my fries didn't cool off enough to eat for at least 2 minutes! I was starving by the time I FINALLY got to eat!

Robbie: Wow, Chuckles. It sounds like you could use a little patience.

Chuckles: Patience?

Robbie: Yeah. Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It says so in the Bible. We have been learning about them in church. Patience is talked about a lot in the Bible. Here's a great verse about patience. It's James chapter 5 verse 7. It says "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains."

Chuckles: Very pretty verse, Robbie. But how does it help me or my flower?

Robbie: Well, it says that we should be patient until Jesus comes back. And it says that we should be patient just like the farmer who is waiting for his crops to grow. God wants us to be patient about everything and not get upset quickly about anything.

Chuckles: Hmmm... So I gues it is kind of silly to be so impatient with this flower, huh?

Robbie: Well, what do you think?

Chuckles: I think I am going to be patient and let this flower grow at its own pace. After all, if that's what God wants it must be the best thing.

Robbie: Yeah. Hey, let's go play catch.

Chuckles: Great idea! I'll get my mitt!